Patriots Get Concerning Injury News for Star DE

Postgame Commentary

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about Williams' injury in his postgame press conference. When asked about if the standout defensive lineman could have returned at some point in the game, Vrabel responded, "Maybe."

Vrabel elaborated on his decision, stating, "I made a decision that we felt like we should probably just start treating that thing and get ahead of it and see where he's at here tomorrow, the next couple of days and try to weigh - again, he wanted to try to go... I just made a decision that I felt like was best for the team for his instance."

As such, Vrabel's postgame perspective seemed to hint at the possibility of Williams returning had the game been closer. Per Pro Football Focus, Williams currently has the 3rd most hurries in the league at 26 and 2nd most total pressures at 35. His presence on the interior defensive line, though not flashy, has been profoundly effective. While his three-technique compatriot in Christian Barmore should continue to compress the pocket effectively, it will be difficult for New England to fully replace Williams' effectiveness during his absence.

Medical Overview and Return Predictions

Williams has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. A high ankle sprain is a relatively common injury in football and tend to occur when another player falls and "rolls up" on another player's ankle, causing an inward buckling of the ankle and an outward rotation of shin. Because of the violent nature of the trenches, this injury is especially among defensive and offensive linemen; unfortunately, the increased mass of trench players also means this injury tends to be more severe in linemen as well.

Current medical literature identifies a typical return-to-play time of around four to seven weeks for a defensive lineman in the NFL depending on severity; given that Williams could have theoretically returned against the Jets, it is more likely than not that his high ankle sprain is towards the less severe side. The average time for a defensive player to be sidelined with the injury is around four weeks (29 days); with a favorable schedule ahead containing weaker opponents (Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants), a pseduo-bye from having played on Thursday night, and a real bye.

This would keep Williams out for just two games.

Therefore, assuming Williams' injury is not severe, it is reasonable to expect him to rejoin the team for Week 15's likely AFC East-crowning battle against the Buffalo Bills.

As the Patriots look towards linemen Khyiris Tonga and Cory Durden to pick up the slack in Williams' absence, New England fans should have hope that Williams' injury shouldn't have as significant of an impact as early reports indicate.